‘I don’t think Josh Elander is doing this because of fan pressure’ – Tennessee baseball made a change that could lead to better results
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Elander is making a big change ahead of an important series against the LSU Tigers. The change comes after the Volunteers were swept by the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville last weekend.
Tennessee Vols baseball coach Josh Elander made a change this week that many fans have been asking for all season.
Elander, who is in his first season as Tennessee’s head coach after taking over for Tony Vitello, is giving up his third base coaching duties so he can communicate more effectively with his team.
“We just said, you know, ‘Hey, how can we communicate a little bit better as a staff,’” said Elander of the decision. “And I’ve always wanted to keep everything this year as similar as it was — just with the uniqueness of the change with (Tony Vitello) — for the players between the lines and how it ran.
“But I just thought at this point, (pitching coach Josh Reynolds) and I are playing the game of, ‘Hey, if this, then that.’ And then I’m trying to communicate from the third base box… I love coaching third, but I think at this point for the team, it was the move and for our staff to be able to communicate on a higher level throughout the game.”
Elander served as Tennessee’s third base coach during the Vitello era.
Vols insider shares insight on Josh Elander’s decision to give up coaching third base
VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs shared some insight Friday on Elander’s decision to give up coaching third base.
“A lot of people have talked about it from the start of the season as it being a big deal,” said Hubbs on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as fans want to make it out to be. If they go and win this weekend against LSU, it will be a big deal. It will be the big thing that happened. But I think it’s just to try to change the pace up a little bit, change some of the communication up, and maybe streamline some stuff a little better. We’ll see how it pays off when it’s all said and done.
“But I don’t think Josh Elander is doing this because of fan pressure. This has been talked about for two months, and he hasn’t done it (until now). But I do think it shows not a panic in Josh Elander, but a willingness to adapt and adjust. And I think in coaching, that’s what you have to do. You have to adapt and adjust to things… It’s your responsibility as a coach to do everything you can to maximize how your team plays. And if you need to be in the dugout to do that, then you need to be in the dugout to do that. If you can coach third base, and that’s where it’s best, then fine. But whatever you have to do to maximize your team’s ability to play, execute offensively, finish games better — that’s what you’re doing. And that’s what Josh Elander is trying to figure out.”
I don’t know how big of a deal this change will be for Tennessee, but I think it’s the right move. I think Elander can provide more value to his team in the dugout than coaching third base while his team is batting.
And that’s not to suggest that there’s no value in coaching third base or that coaching third base is “easy”, because it’s definitely not. I just think having the head coach’s voice in the dugout can be beneficial. Whether it’s something he sees in a player’s eyes before an at bat and he’s able to give that player a quick confidence boost, or maybe it’s just having a better feel for where the team’s at while hitting. Whatever the case, I think Elander will be a more effective coach while being in the dugout for the full nine innings.
Tennessee Volunteers News
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Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello experienced his first Bay Area earthquake this week. Vitello, is in his first season as the manager of the San Francisco Giants, told reporters about the experience.
